Hat-die



2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

(No Model.)

F. S. HILTON.

HAT DIE.

Patented Oct. 16, 1888. F1 1.

' Ix/akcuc Wii essesj (ETERS Phawlit ow'wn Wll hingtnn. D.C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

F. S. HILTON.

HAT DIE.

Patented 001;. 1 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

FREDERICK S. HILTON, OF SOUTH FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

HAT DI E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,147, dated October 16, 1888.

Application filed May 19, 1888. Serial No. 274.423.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, FREDERICK S. HILTON, of South Framingham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hat- Dies, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accom pauying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan ofa device embodying my invention; Fig. 2, an elevation of the same, showing the dies out of contact; Fig. 3, acentral longitudinal section of the same on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. etis aplan of the male, and Fig. 5 of the female, die removed. Fig. 6 shows in plan and edge view the movable tip of the female die.

My invention consists, mainly, in the combination of a male die and a female die which has a non-integral end; and, s eondly, in the combination of the dies and a die carrier with suitable mechanism for adjusting the die in its carrier.

Devices embodying my invention are intended chiefly for use in steaming straw hats and the like, but are also useful in pulling buekram hat and bonnet frames, Heretofore in devices of this sort the female die has been either in one piece or in two half-pieces, each half-piece being integral with half the end piece of the complete female die, as shown in Faughts patent, No. 130,031, dated July 30, 1872, and the consequence has been that when, for any reason-such asvariation in thickness of stock-the male die supporting the hat or the like to be operated on has not been fully within the female die the tip of the crown has not been acted on. This has generally been the case where the brim of the hat, for example, has been of coarser straw than the crown of the hat; and the object of my invention is to produce a device in which the tip of the crown is certainly acted on when the device is used.

In the drawings, A is the male and A the female die, and A a die-carrier. Female die A is formed of a part, a, commonly flanged, as shown, and a separate end part, a, so that when the female die is in place on the stock on the male die the inner surface of the end of the female die will act on the tip of the crown, the male die in machines of this class being (No model.)

considerably smaller than the female die to allow the sides of the crown portion of the fe male die to come into proper relation to the side of the crown portion of the male die.

In all former devices of the kind known to me the female die is rigidly secured to its earricr, and the only adjustment of the female die has been by adjusting its carrier. v

In my present device I prefer to have the female die universally adjustable, (although this is not absolutely essential and the device will work well if the female die is rigidly secured to its carrier,) and this adjustment is conveniently obtained by securing the female die in a ring, A, through which are sct-screws a, which engage the die,and by means of which the die secured in the ring is conveniently secured in various relations to the other die. For greater nicety of adjustment I secure ring A to the carrier by means of screws a through the carrier A In the device shown carrier A is mounted on spring-coutrolled rods a which slide in suitable supports, a, and are controlled, say, by a treadle or lever.

lVhen my device is used, the stockfor example, a straw hatis placed on the male die and covered with a wet cloth in the usual way, and the female die is then moved into place on the stock thus covered, the end a of the female die moving to admit the covered stock. The end part, a, ofthe female die is then moved inwardly to act on the tip of the crown, and is held in place, say, by a set-screw, a, through a cross-bar fast to the ring A. The dies are retained in place in any suitable manner until the stock operated on is sufficiently steamed or heated, one or both the dies, as usual, being adapted to be heated,.and are then moved apart to enable the operator to take out the stock.

I am aware of Faughts patent, No. 130,031, dated July 30, 1872, and disclaim all that is shown in it, my device differing radically from his device in that it is a female die provided with a non-integral end piece.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. In combination, male die A, female die A, and carrier A", the female die having a non-integral end part, a, all arranged and op erating substantially as described.

2. The herein-described combination ofthe male die A, female die A, carrier A, and ring A, the female die A being adjustable in the A, ring- A being intermediate the carrier A ring At, all arranged and operating substanand the female die and adjustable toward and tially as and for the purpose set forth.

away from the carrier A, all substantially as FREDERICK S. HILTON. 5 and for the purpose set forth. "Witnesses:

3. The herein-described combination of the EDWARD S. BEAoH, male die A, female die A, carrier A and ring JOHN R. SNOW. 

